Heavy Rain Floods Fields, `Usual' Prone Areas Overflows Not As Severe As From March 31 Storm

April 12, 1993|by KAREN YURCONIC And NICK POLITI, The Morning Call

Pools of water -- mostly puddled in fields that farmers are waiting to seed --were a common sight around the Lehigh Valley yesterday.

But people who make it their business to watch the rise and fall of the area's two main water sources, the Lehigh and Delaware rivers, said the weekend's 1.68 inches of rain did not cause as many problems as the previous big rainstorm.

There were the usual problem spots yesterday, however.

Flooding along the Lehigh at Adams Island in Allentown caused temporary evacuations of about 20 residents early yesterday.

Lehigh Drive was closed in Easton and West Easton by 7 a.m. because of high water. It was expected to remain closed until this morning.

In addition to a water-laden road, there was a washout at the Conrail train trestle near the Lafayette Boat House along Lehigh Drive, Easton police said.

Otherwise, only one bungalow along Lehigh Drive was in jeopardy of having water seep into a basement-level garage, said Bill Bogari Sr., emergency management coordinator for West Easton.

Bogari said the Lehigh River in West Easton and other places he received readings for were not going to reach flood stage.

"They take readings at Walnutport and Bethlehem and there's a gauge at the foot of Adamson Street at Lehigh Drive," he said.

At Walnutport the river began to recede about 10 a.m. yesterday, Bogari said. "Then a little bit later on, Bethlehem started to show a drop. Once you see that pattern, I can safely say we're safe from any more rise."

At the Easton-Phillipsburg bridge in Easton, flood stage is 22 feet.

Bridge officer Edward Ostrander said at 6 p.m. yesterday the river was at 14.14 feet (above normal) and it rose only two-tenths of an inch by 7 p.m. Ostrander said at that time he could still see falls at the dam on the Lehigh, so that was a good sign.

"It's been 20 hours and it came up 4 feet -- that's really not too bad," Ostrander said.

Bogari said he believed flooding was more imminent March 31 and April 1 because nearly 1-1/2 inches of rain combined with melting snow to make the Delaware rise much more rapidly than it did Saturday and yesterday.

The weekend's heavy rain raised the Lehigh water level along Freemansburg, backing up the Nancy Run creek and closing the borough's Main Street Extension until late this morning.

Borough Councilman Kenneth Ziegenfuss said the road was closed at 8 a.m. yesterday. After the water recedes the mud that stays behind will have to be cleaned up before the road can be opened, Ziegenfuss said.

The low spot in the roadway, which dips under a railroad overpass, begins to flood everytime the river level goes 9.7 feet above normal, according to Ziegenfuss. He said that the river was as high as 11.82 feet above normal this weekend.

During the morning rush hour those wishing to get onto Main Street from Freemansburg Avenue can continue on Freemansburg Avenue to Washington Street, turn left and connect with Main Street south of the flooding.

In Lehigh County, portions of Cedar Creek and the Little Lehigh Creek had gone over their banks by last night, said Mike Siegel, an erosion technician for the county. Traveling on Springcreek Road in Lower Macungie Township was dangerous because of high water and washouts, and the Jordan Creek was up to its banks in South Whitehall Township, Siegel said.

Sigel said, overall, the weekend flooding was not dangerous in the traditional sense but posed a significant problem for farmers wanting to plant and contractors needing to build.